


Maneater

by aliferousWendigo, Less_Talented_Soundwave



Series: 274 Colligo Lane [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Cafes, Drug Use, Gay Male Character, Ill add as i go, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sex, Lesbian Character, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Nonbinary Character, Second-Hand Embarrassment, Selkies, Slow Burn, Smoking, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Trans Male Character, Urban Fantasy, Violence, Werewolves, and violent, from my motw dnd campaign, i think thats all, its gay, o fuck i forgot shithead, oblivious gays, oof, rp-style writing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:55:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24328393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliferousWendigo/pseuds/aliferousWendigo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Less_Talented_Soundwave/pseuds/Less_Talented_Soundwave
Summary: "ManeaterMake you work hard make you spend hardMake you want all of her loveShe's a maneaterMake you buy cars make you cut cardsMake you fall real hard in love"
Relationships: Ben Santos (oc)/Jordan Anderson (oc), Jorogumo/Literally Every Single Consenting Woman, Samael Moon (oc)/Vern Stanley (oc)
Series: 274 Colligo Lane [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756438
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> history lesson for rp sluts in my campaign for dnd

the house is cautiously silent, the only sound is the occasional car passing on the street out front. gumo sits at the island in the kitchen, taking up 2 stools by propping her feet. she leisurely strokes the fur of lil' shithead as the cat stretches out on her lap. it is obvious that her intent is focused on the staircase, waiting for samael to grumpily start his day.

Heavy footfalls sounded as Samaél downstairs, huffing as he rubbed the back of his head. It was obvious something was wrong, and that the bags under his eyes seemed worse. He paid little attention to Gumo as he slunk into the kitchen, slapping a hand on the coffee maker as he started it up.

gumo watched, studying but not prying. her eyes are curious but her mouth stayed shut. her hand stilled, lingering gently on lil shitheads back. her other arm silently moves to rest the elbow on the island. she holds her head in the hand being propped. her posture reads casual, but a storm is brewing in her head. thousands of questions linger as she holds herself back. interrogations were never her style.

The sound of the coffee maker being the only noise in the room made it very awkward between the two, Samaél glaring at the pot before moving to grab a mug. He tried to be calm as he waited before finally slamming it down, glaring at her, "What?!"

gumos expression stayed passive. her eyes still trained on samael, she shook her head "nothing. just observing". her attention drops back down to lil shithead. facing downward, she asks with a twitch of a smile "so who was the hunk who brought you home. obviously not a special guest or else youd be more relaxed instead of whatever fast and furious macho character you chose from the closet today."

Samaél growled lowly as he blushed, gripping the mug before moving to aggressively pour himself some coffee, "Fuck off..." He huffed as he gathered enough milk and sugar to make his coffee sweeter then hell, stirring it up.

gumos expression quickly falls to a more serious one, her tone is unwavering as she stares samael down. "i would say okay but i still havent a single fucking clue of what happened yesterday. you didnt tell me shit and i stayed late last night to talk with jordan but hes in shutdown mode. he just stares. it worries me, samael, you know that isnt good right? i need to know what the hell happened or im pulling both of you into a meeting and not letting you go until i either get the full story or one of you is in critical condition." her eyes are stone cold, daring samael to push her.

Samaél slowed down, letting the spoon rest in the cup before turning to glance at her, "...it went wrong...everything. These...kids aren't fucking ready for any of this, Gumo" He snapped, "This is the second time I-...we've almost lost Jordan, and now Ben, too" He swallowed thickly, reaching up to mess with his hair aggressively.

"I...I almost-!" He snarled, "I lost control..."

gumo quickly resituates herself to face samael with both feet on the bar holding the stool up, the cat jumping from her lap and waddling to the living room. she lays both elbows on the island and links her fingers in front of her mouth. her response is lightly mumbled through them. "yeah i caught that. shits getting bad, samael. what even set you off? i assumed it was ben but i feel that it might not have been based on the little information that i got from wym and elderflowers conversations in the car." she pulls out her phone to play an audio that was obviously taken by tatenda as her voice is comparably louder than the other two. the audio runs for about 5 minutes as wym and elderflower share their fears from the mission; the pitch darkness, the confusion, the ever-growing pace. she shuts the audio off as the two slow down their voices into small talk. an expectant expression overcomes her face as she looks back up to samael.

Samaél abandoned his coffee for a moment, turning to face her as he heard her movement, "What?! What do you want me to say?!" He growled, "It was a nest, and you gave me kids! Two, stupid, inexperienced fucking kids! Jordan almost died! Again!" He jabbed a finger in her direction, "Wym and Elderflower could have, too. We weren't prepared to handle a nest, and I snapped, ok?!"

gumos brows stitch together as her expression grows sour. "i sent you nowhere near that mess. for fucks sake, it was a day off for all 5 of you. i didnt know you would find the nest, nor that ben and jordan would be injured again. you know that if i even thought about the possibility of any of this happening, your entire group would have been in colligo sitting your asses in the sanctuary. so dont put this shit on me." her fingers are unlatched, one pointing accusingly at samael and the other curled in a tight fist on the island. a shadow of harsh guilt passes her features, only to be quickly covered by both of hands as she holds her head up face-down. stress radiates from heras she seemingly gives up on being stern

Samaél let out a loud huff, fisting his hair before growling, "I'm not-! I'm not blaming you! I-" he rubbed at his face aggressively, leaning against the counter, "...I'm fucked, we know this..." He let his hands drop, "...Shit goes down...we know this. We weren't prepared...they took Jordan, we couldn't just leave him..." He let out a shaky breath, "They almost got Wym and Elderflower, they don't know what they are doing...they need training...and they shouldn't be around me"

"when will you get it through your fucking thick ass skull that you are not the problem. yes you can be a bitch most of the time, but just because something goes wrong and and you happened to be present does not mean that it was your fault exactly." she waves a hand around dismissively, "i know that you have problems controlling yourself, we all fucking do. you saw jordan yesterday. fuck, ben doesnt even get a warning before an episode. we get mad, we get frusterated, we might even get happy and lose control; thats the whole fucking point of colligo, helping eachother through that shit. now. you can be a little bitch and go wallow in your self-deprecation chamber, or you can sit your ass down, have a coffee, and let me help you."

"They snap and they hurt themselves! I snap and do over a thousand in property damage and almost kill someone!" He stressed, accent slowly slipping through, but still moved to grab his coffee and slump down in the chair across from her, "...I snapped, and I nearly killed Ben...."

her expression stays calm as she leans forward, looking samael in the eyes "thats the thing. you focus on the negatives. if we are being completely honest here, yes it could have gone better but this was one of the most positive outcomes that could have happened. everyone is still alive and the skinwalkers are all wiped. the keyword you used was 'nearly'. hes nearly dead, but not enough that we couldnt get him out of the situation. youre blowing the negatives way out of proportion. we should be glad that ben was the only one needing a the emergency room. hes fine by the way. i know you left before you could completely hear about it, but hes stable and should be fully healed in about 3 days thanks to owen (colligos head doctor, hes also technically apollo according to myths in greece). im greatful for you, you know. if you hadnt gone all fuckin furry in there, we would be fishing 5 bodies out of a bloody cave of skinwalkers."

Samaél growled softly as he stared her down before snapping his gaze to his coffee, "I cannot stand it..." He reached up rub his forehead, "Ben will forgive me, I know this...but, Jordan...I doubt he even knows what happened..." He sighed, "These kids...Gumo, swear to me that we will start them on training before we begin another mission...I need to know they could at least handle themselves...or handle me, if they have to"

gumo pulls a small grin to her face, she gets up from the stool and moves towards a cabinet under the sink. rifling through it, she begins to respond "i promise to have them squarely on office jobs until they learn the names and types of monsters we have in store. in fact, ill have mia show them around quarantine to give them a reason to fear half the shit theyll see. and for physical training, ill let tatenda handle that." she smirks at the idea. in a quiet exclamation she pulls out a bottle from the cabinet. "now, the stress from this conversation is fun and all, but im the landlord and that bitch aint payin rent. i dont know about you but im down to make this bottle empty by 11." shes walked back to the island, swishing around the unlabled bottle for a second before setting it down. as the glass makes contact with the marble with a heavy thud, the sharp sound of the doorbell cuts through the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Samaél moved to finally sip from his now cold coffee, licking his lips as he listened to her rifle before finally glancing at her. He watched her as she finally pulled out a decent sized bottle of alcohol eyeing it before perking as the doorbell rang.

"Who the fuck...?" He asked softly, glancing at the door before slowly heaving himself from the chair.

as the door swings open, samael is met with the smell of pine trees and a broad chest. vern, holding a drink carrier with 3 large cups, quickly gains a blinding grin that flashes samael with a small metal smiley ring. "hey! i uh, i didnt know if i had the right house for a second, hah, it was a little dark last night." he looks down at his feet, quickly looking back up to samael and making eye contact. "i just wanted to check up on you! cause you seemed... all kinds of bad last night. and alsoooo... maybe i could stay for a little? and chat? i brought coffee, even some for your roommate. though i didnt know how she liked it so i left it black. i made sure yours was mostly creamer and sugar though! with a little surprise too!" verns nose scrunches as he closes his eyes with his smile, his face the pure energy of a hopeful puppy. "so?..."

As the smell of pine needles assaulted his senses, Samaél was dumb struck as he was also nearly blinded by said bright smile. He stammered softly, eyes wide as he stared down Vern, swallowing thickly before clearing his throat.

"You...didn't have to..." He was trying to keep quite, but knew that Vern's loudness more then likely already alerted Gumo to his presense, "It's not...exactly my place, so-"

gumo pushes into view, wrapping an arm around samaels shoulders as she props a hip to the side. her, quite exposing, outfit flutters in the light breeze from outside"oh what?! samael dont be so modest! you pay 3/4 of the rent!" in actuality, they both know to share the rent evenly in half, but the look gumo gives samael while saying this tells him that her statement was true for this month. "hey! you were the guy here last night right? thanks for bringing him home. i didnt want to have him lost and roaming the streets like a dog," she gives samael a pointed look, "anyway, you should join us! our house is always so quiet in the morning with just the two of us. we were about to have a drink if youd like one?" 

vern, whose gaze had been lazer-focused to the contact between gumo and samaels basically naked bodies, snaps to attention. his face becomes gentle as he begins to nod, "i would love to. your house is so nice and id really like to get to know you two some more..." his eyes shift back down as gumos arm moves from samaels shoulder to his waist. her eyes are meet his as he brings them up, almost as if challenging him.

Samaél stiffened as Gumo pushed into view, growling lowly as she claimed he pays more and knowing it was because she was pissed at him. He huffed, shifting from one foot to another as she continued to speak, giving her a pointed stare at the dog comment.

"...." He huffed, rolling his eyes and glancing away from them both as she practically had her body draped over his own. He finally turned his attention back to Vern as he spoke, blushing softly and clearing his throat a bit.

"Well, fuck, then...come in? Standing in doorways isn't helping" He moved to elbow Gumo slightly as he turned to head back upstairs, grabbing his coffee and expertly downing the whole cup.

as samael leaves to go back to the kitchen, gumo gives vern a once over, causing vern to raise an eyebrow and gesture to inside. she steps aside and they both follow after samael. "whats your name by the way? i dont believe i caught it." gumo asks sweetly as she closes the door. vern clears his throat as he waits for her, "vern stanley." he sticks his hand out for gumo to shake, she does with a crushing grip that causes fear to cross his mind. "Jorōgumo." his face lights up in recognition "like the spider? oh, isnt there a folktale in japan about it? thats awesome!" theyve reached the kitchen by now, gumos eye twitches subtly as she looks to samael.

Samaél slams his cup down as they make their way up the stairs, sniffing before grabbing the bottle of liquor and already opening it with an expert twist of his wrist. He watched them as he downed a decent swig of the bottle, unimpressed as he noticed Gumo's stare.

"He runs the local coffee shop that Elderflower hangs around..." He shrugged casually, setting the bottle down with a lick of his lips

vern visibly brightens at the mention of elderflower "oh yeah! hes one of my best customers!" he turns to samael, "thats right, you were with him yesterday werent you? how do you guys know him?" 

gumo quickly looks between the two as vern questions their relations with elderflower. her expression is calm, but her eyes hold slight panic. the shaking of her head is subtle but enough for samael to notice.

"Ahhhhh..." Samaél snapped his eyes over to Vern and Gumo before clearing his throat, "He visits the...library often...I work there" He offered up, unsure, but just rolling with it before moving to steal the drink carrier casually. He sniffed causally before picking out one, eyes narrowed as he sniffed, again, and then finally taking a sip. He had managed to grab the right one, the one meant for him.

"Mmn" He swallowed thickly, taking another swig before walking over to the liquor and popping open the lid to his new cup of coffee

vern shifts his head side to side "i didnt know you worked at the library." he lets samael take his coffee, blushing as he watches him take a sip. gumo clears her throat, catching verns eyes before moving to take one of the coffees remaining. vern quickly shifts the carrier so that hers is closer. "so, samael, can you taste the surprise?" vern asks as he watches samael pour the liquor into his drink. gumo, who had taken a sip of her own, quietly chokes on a laugh and covers it by clearing her throat again. "yeah, samael, whats the special 'surprise' in your drink? i believe mine is straight black, but it sounds like you got a little somethin somethin." her eyebrows bounce with the words 'somethin somethin' as she looks accusingly at samael and takes another sip to hide her smirk.

Samaél rolled his shoulders, nodding slowly before dumping some of the liquor into his cup, eyeing it as it almost over flowed before lifting it carefully to his lips. He sipped softly before working up to completely down the cup, slowly tipping his head back to get the last bits. He slammed the cup down as Gumo spoke.

"...Chocolate" He wiped some coffee from his lips, eyeing the cup before glancing at Vern. He eyed him up and down, cocking an eye brow, "It was...chocolate syrup?"

vern, with a heavily flushed face, nods excitedly. "i figured since you liked the hot chocolate from last night so much." he states with an obviously fake-nonchalant shrug. 

gumos eyebrows soar into her bangs, but she stays quiet as she downs a large portion of her coffee. she quickly moves to go back to her stool, sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. 

vern, happy for the acknowledgement, quietly decides to study his hosts. he takes in gumos outfit first, admiring the intricate lace patterns that hug her various curves. he turns bright red as he looks to samael, studying the linking tattoos that run the length of his body. he takes in a few harsh scars that score his skin. his curious features are obscured by him taking a drink of his coffee.

Samaél blushed deeply as he coughed to clear his throat, covering his mouth with his hand so he could avoid exposing himself...somewhat. He tried to ignore Gumo, giving her a very pointed state before pivoting to to fridge and opening it. He leaned against it casually, eyeing everything in the fridge before leaning in to grab some left over pizza. He took a bite, letting it hang from his mouth as he turned back around to get his cup and fill it with juice.

"Was good..." His voice was muffled as he spoke around the pizza, mixing more of the liquor into his juice before leaning on the counter. He could practically feel Vern looking at him, shifting from foot to foot as he started to eye him himself. He locked eye contact when he could, offering up a soft wink before he sipped his drink.

gumo, noticing the wink, snorts and mutters 'smooth' under her breath at samael. vern, however, didnt notice the wink. his focus wavers to the copious liquor being poured by samael. the bottle, being previously full, is now nearly half empty. his brows furrow in concern as he quietly questions it. "isnt it a little early for a drink like that? dont get me wrong, alcohol in the morning is fine, just.... maybe not half a bottle?" his voice is polite, not being judgemental but instead having an air of a mother hen.

Samaél glanced over at Gumo briefly before looking back at Vern, raising an eye brow, "Hmm...? You want some?" He offered the bottle out, sipping from his cup, "Day off..." He made up some excuse, leaning against the counter causally, though the way he crossed his arms had his chest pressing together and the light to reflect off his nipple rings.

"Don't worry, I can handle it"

vern lightly declines with a wave of his hand "no, im good. gave up drinking a few years ago. i thought i could handle it too." he states pointedly with a sharp look at samael. he brushes some non-existent dust from his shirt before sighing and checking his watch. "oh! i didnt realize how long it took to walk here. i gotta go or ill be late for work!" he moves his attention to gumo "it was nice to meet you, jorōgumo! goodbye samael!" his voice travels through the house as he hurries through the door, closing it gently behind him. 

gumo turns back to samael, a knowing look on her face. "well he seems brighter than the usual guys. you fuck him yet?" she asks before lifting her cup to her mouth.


	3. Chapter 3

Samaél seemed taken aback by Vern's suddenly stern nature, carefully sipping his drink as he watched him start to freak out about work, "Ah...yeah, see ya" He held his cup up in a form of goodbye, watching him flee before turning to Gumo.

"Fuck you...! No...I haven't" He sniffed, glancing down, "We met in the café, and then again last night when...I went for a run"

"yeah and then he walked you home. i can totally see why he would do that but i cant seem to think of why you would possibly let him. how fucking good was that hot chocolate, my guy? was it in a large 'mug' or a small 'mug'?" she asks smugly before getting up and throwing away her empty cup. "we should start getting ready. i expect you to talk to jordan today. and i mean talk. not that bottom bitch shit you both do where you avoid eachother until ben forces you to hang out." she points an accusing finger at samael before going to the stares and ascending.

Samaél growled lowly, setting down his cup, "In fact, I had multiple large cups" He spat back in response, looking her over before rolling his eyes, "He's..." He huffed loudly before growling, "Doesn't matter, we didn't fuck, not even a kiss" he waved her off before tensing as she mentioned Jordan.

"Fuck!" He snapped as she headed upstairs.

~TIME CHANGE TO SAMAEL AND GUMO GETTING TO COLLIGO~

the undergrounds of colligo are relatively slow, the residents groggy and still waking up even as the time reaches close to 11 am. gumo and samael walk in together. gumo, in her sweatpants and tight cropped tank-top, holds a large binder of work she has to do. as she lazily strolls in, she waves to samael "remember our discussion. you go to jordan, or i put you both in confinement together. im gonna go to my office, come to me if you decide that you want option two." she states before walking off. samael is left alone.

Samaél was used to the general air of early morning colligo, hands pressed deep in his jean pockets, as he followed Gumo through the halls. He rolled his eyes and huffed as left him, rolling his shoulders so his leather jacket would shift into a more comfortable position. He knew he needed to talk to Jordan...

He growled before storming off in the direction of the wards, head low as he avoided any and all contact he could

the halls to the wards are particularly quiet today, all of the normal bustling is calmed today. the few people that roam the wards are medics, some wearing scrubs and some just in normal everyday clothes. nobody seems to be in too much of a rush though. bens room resides, door open, at the end of back of the corridor. there is a pile of towels laying outside of it along with a small bucket of tangled vegetation from the ocean. from inside the room, muttering voices can be heard going back and forth between the silence.

Weaving in between doctors and regulars, Samaél came across the room, eyeing the towels and bucket before turning his attention to the door. He groaned, rubbing his forehead and daring a peek inside, giving the door a soft knock.

"...hey..."

the voices from inside come to a stop before one of them responds in a slightly louder tone. "come in." the voice belongs to ben, slightly rough but still familiar to samael. theres a soft sound of blankets shifting as the other voice mutters again, even more muffled than last time.

Samaél slipped inside, reaching up to rub the back of his head as he watched them, "...how...how ya doing?"

the room open up to one similar to jordans from a few days ago. a couch sits directly across the door, against the wall and covered in blankets and pillows. in the corners, medical supplies are set up on rolling stands. a large monitor beeps a quiet rhythmic song next to a saline drip attachted to bens arm. jordan and ben both lay on the propped bed. jordan, on his stomach overtop ben, has his arms wrapped tightly around his boyfriends waist as he pushes his face into his neck. ben has a hand resting on jordans hip, lightly rubbing at the skin showing from his shirt riding up. his other arm lays by his side, connected to the drip by the wrist, as his hand messes with the thin sheets of the bed. ben is in only sweatpants, his chest bound in various bandages with slight areas soaked in blood. his bangs are held back with a metal clip, allowing him immediate eye contact with samael as he walks in. he looks back over to jordan, who seems worse for wear. his hair is bunched up in a messy puff of a bun, several strands of what looks like seaweed threading through it. hes wearing one of bens shirts thats too big for either of them and a pair of loose shorts.

Samaél took in the smell and sounds of the room, scanning it briefly before locking eyes with Ben. He swallowed thickly, keeping his head low as he continued further into the room.

"Gumo...mentioned you'd make a full recovery...yeah?" He tried, again, but still wasn't expecting an answer. His hand still positioned on the back of his neck, he rubbed it nervously and clawed slightly as he awaited a response. The silence was deafening....

ben nods slowly before speeding up slightly "yeah owen went through hell and back but hes got me stable now." hearing it closer now, his voice has an obvious rough undertone to it, as if hed been yelling it for a while. he gives a soft smile at samael before nodding his head towards an empty chair next to the bed. "wanna sit? gumo texted me that she wanted you two to talk it out. id rather you do that on my terms over hers. so, sit down. please." his eyes dont leave samaels as he makes his statement. jordan makes a small grumbling noise under his breath before kicking his feet like a child having a tantrum. bens eyebrow openly twitches.

Samaél was obviously tense, attempting to roll his shoulders ao relax and just looking awkard before moving to finally go take a seat. He moved slowly, cautiously taking a seat as Jordan pitched a small fit. He wondered vaguely if Ben had already told him, hands coming down to be clasped in his lap.

"Yeah...she did...so...I'm here..."

"alright then, lets get this shit started." ben sighs before nudging jordan with his shoulder. jordan groans before lifting his head away from bens neck. he untangles himself from ben and sits criss cross applesauce next to him instead. 

he looks like he was hit by a fucking truck.

dark circles are present under his eyes and faint tear tracks can be seen in the dim lights of the room. his lips are chapped to all hell and scabbed in a few places where he was repeatedly biting at them. he rubs his face harshly with both hands before sighing and dropping them into his lap. his gaze wavers over to ben before drifting to samael and refusing to meet his eyes. 

"samael, im not fucking mad at you. you know that, right? ive been told by just about everyone to forgive you but im just. theres literally nothing for me to forgive you for. you lost control and it wasnt you that hurt ben. it was so fucking dark in that cave and from what i heard, the skinwalkers were all over you guys. so. im not mad at you. samael i would never get mad at you for hurting someone in wolf-form. shit, when i got back and ran to the ocean i almost tore into penny after shifting. she followed me to make sure i didnt die and i still almost went for it." he finally meets samaels eyes.

"im mad at myself. fuck, im pissed at myself." he admits before deflating and rubbing his face again.

Samaél shifted his eyes slightly before looking up at Ben and Jordan, taking in his appearance before deflating somewhat and slumping forward even more. He swallowed hard, glancing away before cursing softly.

He glanced back over as Jordan spoke, head low as he listened carefully, "...Jordan..." He huffed before reaching up to cover his own face before groaning and rubbing at it, "I...none of this was supposed to happen...but, I should...I should've..." He growled lowly, squeezing his eyes closed.

"I can't lose you two...I...I don't think I could handle it..."

"and you think either of us could handle it?!" jordan deflects, looking drained. "samael, when you first got here you could have been bleeding out and i wouldnt have given a shit. now? now everytime i think about if that had happened today or tomorrow, i feel like my heart physically wouldnt handle it." his face begins to redden, eyes tearing as he looks up at the tiled ceiling. "fuck samael, we care so fucking much about you and all you do is act like every single thing that happens to us is your fault. was it your fault that i got captured by the skinwalkers? no. it was mine for making eye contact with them in the first place. was it your fault when ben got hurt? no. because that wasnt you. that was a spiritual form that nobody in this dimesion would be able to fucking control. jesus fuck samael. your mental health is so bad that sometimes i feel like im an adult keeping a child from vaulting a fucking electric fence." jordan is borderline yelling as he finishes, hot tears streaking his face and falling onto his tightly clenched fists that sit in his lap. his posture is rigid and his leg is bouces 100 miles an hour. he looks to ben, who lets out a small whine and sits up to wrap him in a hug. he doesnt return it, just lets his head fall onto bens shoulder. a last muddled sentence comes from him, blocked in between the two bodies. 

"samael we just want to help you and love you, but all you do is push us away."

Samaél snapped his head up as Jordan began to yell, body tensing up as his hands curled in his lap. He listened to him, swallowing thickly as his throat felt like it began to close up on him. He inhaled sharply, but his eyes never wavered from Jordan as he slumped against Ben.

His eyes burned, his throat tight, as he finally moved forward. He closed the gap between them, pulling them both into his chest and holding them close. He cupped the back of their heads, resting his own on theirs before exhaling a shaky breath. He was trembling, grip tight...

"...Because I'm a bad person..." He spoke through gritted teeth, closing his eyes as tears started to spill, "I'm no good...I...I love you...I love you both so much...I don't deserve you, but-" He held them tightly, "I...almost lost you...I can't..."

ben and jordan both lean on the new support, their weight fully pushed onto samael. jordans body shakes, his shoulders jumping with silent sobs. ben lets out a shuttering breath as he relaxes and rests his head against samaels chest. from the center of the three, bens voice comes out slightly muffled but not unheard.

"samael why are your tits so fucking big? like damn pillows have some competition." he says in a completely deadpan voice, devoid of any emotion. 

it stirs a snort out of jordan, eventually evolving into a cackle as jordan lays his head besides bens on samael. his shoulders still shake but from laughter now as he looks at ben and makes a grabbing/squeezing motion with both hands.

Samaél positioned himself to support their weight, starting to rub at their shoulders and backs before pausing as Ben commented on his chest. He pulled back enough to glance at them, ignoring his tear streaked face as he watched Jordan start to cackle and make grabby hand motions. He snorted softly, bumping their heads together before giving them both a smooch on their heads.

"Because I'm a fat bottom" He joked softly, "It's what I'm good at"


	4. Chapter 4

ben looks up at samael, his face and voice still devoid or any emotion as he speaks. "so you agree, you have nice tits." this causes jordan to snort again and lean back to look at them both. "ok so by the way youre not fat, you just have obligatory bottom chub. you know, the love handles are necessary for a good time." he winks at ben, who in turn facepalms. 

"are we good though? got all this shit out of the way? cause if i go back to gumo and tell her that you two didnt make up, shes gonna have my head on a stick for a sacrifice to the spiders in her office." ben states with a sigh.

Samaél snorted at Ben, letting them go and reaching up to causally wipe his eyes, "Of course, you're not the first to point that out" He side eyed Jordan, "They gotta have something to grab onto while they get the ride of a life time...right, Ben?" He teased casually before slumping back in his seat with a huff.

"Yeah...yeah yeah, might as well. I don't need her shit around the house either..."

ben, at samaels comment, rolls his eyes and falls back against his propped bed. jordan, who had been laughing hard enough that more tears spill from his eyes, follows him and lands with a huff against bens shoulder. 

they both face to look at samael as he speaks. jordan quips back "well considering she had to deal with your shit..." he trails off, looking away before snapping his eyes back. "anyway, bens supposed to be out by tomorrow and im planning to get completely shit-faced high when he does. if you wanna come down to the basement you can."

Samaél shrugged causally, "She barely dealt with it...I ended up spending most of the time with-" He paused before deciding the end it there, clearing his throat as he blushed, "Anyway...yeah, getting high sounds wonderful"

jordan seems to be completely oblivious to samael's near slip of the name, ben on the other hand... ben gives samael a look. samael, having been ben's friend for over half a decade, knows this look. ben caught that shit. and hes not going to let it go easily. ben has always held first place in knowing about samaels love life and he isnt about to let that go now. 

with a smirk that is rarely seen, ben perks up. "you ended up spending most of the time with...? ~samael~! do we have a new love interest that youre going to push away and self loath about? who is it??"

jordan catches on now, his eyes widen and a smirk appears to match bens. "oooooooh i bet. i bet." he between samael and ben a dew times, " its that guy from the cafe. the one that made you all 'ówò i dont mean to take up your time' when you dropped your coffee." he stays looking at samael, his expression that of an imp that just robbed a mushroom store.

Samaél was almost thankful when it seemed that neither had noticed...until he saw the near shit eating grin on Ben's face, and knew he had been caught. He cursed softly under his breath before slumping in the chair, cheeks red in a blush as Ben mocked him.

He groaned as Jordan finally caught on, resting his head on the back of the chair and waiting for them to finish before eyeing them slightly.

"...fuck you"

jordan stretches out on the bed over top of ben, who looks completely fine with it. "bro, anytime, bro. i gotchu. gimme a place and day and as long as we slip in a 'no homo' we finna be set. i mean.... 's long as bens okay with it..." he states with a dudebro accent and a less-than-smooth motion to kiss bens neck.

ben, deadpan as ever, pushes jordans face away from his neck with a blush tailing his ears. "when was the last time you fucking slept?" 

jordan giggles and falls back into his neck, muttering an almost non-legible "mmmmednesday"

Samaél watched as this all went down, eyea hooded in unamusement and yet forced to still listen. He was stuck with these assholes...

"His ass hasn't slept since you've been in here..." He called Jordan out, sitting up a bit, "The only sleep he had was being out cold in that fucking cave"

bens brows furrow as he sighs . even though he already knows this, it still makes him concerned. he bumps jordan with his shoulder before wrapping an arm around him. 

"you should get some sleep, ill wake you up when they bring food." he says in a low voice as he shifts jordan to make him comfier. 

"nnnnnnn. ok... perhaps a snooze." jordan slurs, already barely awake. 

ben turns towards samael, looking him in the eyes as jordans breath begins to become drawn out and heavy.

Samaél shook his head slightly in disapproval, sighing as he rubbed the back of his neck. He waited for Ben to handle everything, knowing that was the only way Jordan would no doubt listen...

He glanced up as he felt Ben's eyes on him, "...What?"

"are you okay? everyone seems to be mad at you and all of this drama is happening but... are you sure youre okay?" ben asks, his gaze like steel on samaels. 

his hand clenches harder around jordans shoulder as he continues, "youre always so hard on yourself. and yeah we all love to joke about how much we hate ourselves, but sometimes i feel like you take that statement a step farther than the rest of us. i hate that you keep everything shut away in a room with 40 locks and no key." ben sighs after his statement. 

"we should catch up, im kind of done with this putting blame on others shit. its been a while since weve just sat together and talked about stuff happening in our lives." his expression is sincere and warm. 

he starts up again quickly before samael can respond, "also i want to know a little bit more about this barista that you spent most of your night with." his gaze turns stone cold, "i just wanna have some information for if he ever breaks your heart and i gotta go after him."

Samaél listened for a moment before sighing heavily, slumping forward in the chair. He held his head slightly, rubbing at her forehead before continuing, "I'm...fine..." He sounded so unsure before gritting his teeth, knowing he'd never get away with lying to Ben.

"...fine...you know me..." He glanced up at him, "All this started with those fucking kids...and then almost losing you both...I..." He growled lowly, "You know I would rather die...then allow anything to happen to you both..." He fisted his hair, pausing a long moment before blushing softly as Ben mentions the 'barista', glancing away.

"...Vern" He spared him a glance, "His name is Vern..."

"yeah same here; you know that. jordan was literally at my side crying when i woke up and it wasnt because of me. the doctors already had told him i was fine. samael, he was fucking bawling over you; he thought that you would never speak to him after what had happened. he knew that you would blame yourself and shut everyone out. he fucking hurt so bad over you; neither of us could live with ourselves if we knew that we drove you away." ben looks sullenly at the scratchy blanket covering his legs. 

he deftly changes his expression after a few seconds, looking up quickly at samael with a small grin, "im glad you didnt shut everyone out. vern is a good guy, too. i used to hang out at his cafe when i would study. makes a mean fucking chai latte gotta tell you. i guess it also helps that hes exactly your type."

Samaél nearly held his breath as Ben told him about Jordan, knowing it was completely true...and yet another part of him couldn't help but deny it. Did he really? He had been so upset...surely it must have been at him...?

He knew though...he knew they cared, and yet he didn't understand why...

He was thankful for the change in subject, even if it still left him in the hot seat, "I...after checking on you, I needed to go...to get out" he rubbed his head before looking up at him, "I started running...and apparently ended up...catching him as he was leaving" He blushed slightly, glancing away, "We...had hot chocolate...and he walked me home..." He rubbed at his eyes with a groan, "He is...Damn it, he really is..."


	5. Chapter 5

ben gives samael an understanding look and a nod. "it is what it is." he states in a false southern drawl. 

a knock on the door disrupts whatever mess could have continued of the conversation as tatenda politely pokes her head in. 

she gasps quietly, "oh thank the gods hes finally sleeping." she whispers as she fully steps into the room. she carries a tray in with her covered in various foods and drinks. "hello samael. i take it that you three all hashed out the situation?" she continues, setting down the tray on a side table and leaning against the bed frame. she gently runs the back of a hand over jordans forehead before picking a stray piece of seaweed from his hair.

Samaél paused before staring him down, face a mixture of confusion and disgust before finally settling on pained acceptance.

"I-" He was cut off as Tatenda entered, gazing up at her before bowing his head slightly in greeting and respect.

"...Yes, we have..." His voice was soft, "...Don't wake him. He needs his rest, or else we will never get him back to sleep"

ben chuckles at the statement before mimicking tatendas actions and pushing jordans stray hairs from his face. jordan quietly grumbles and moves to curl tighter into bens side, face thoroughly pressed into his neck. adoration fills bens face as he responds "nah hes gonna be asleep for a while. and i mean deep sleep. he wont be woken up by anything other than maybe me getting up, which i dont plan on doing anytime soon."

tatenda breaks out in a fond grin as she watches the interaction. sighing, she starts up again. "well since all of the mess is relatively cleaned up, he can have this back..." she states, pulling jordans pelt from her large knapsack. 

ben eagerly reaches for it with a 'thank you' gently laying it over jordan once its handed to him. he strokes a hand over the silky patterns, admiration lighting up his quickly-relaxing features. 

he turns to samael, eyes drooping slowly as he begins to yawn. "sorry samael, i think the meds are hella kicking in." he apologizes, even as the reason for his drousiness was evidently jordans pelt being returned safely. "if you wanna stay, you can. i dont think ill be much of a conversationalist though." he looks to tatenda, "i figured you were gonna stay for a little bit to be motherly like usual." 

tatenda muffles a chortle and nods, reclining into the couch along with all of the blankets; the picture of pure comfort.

Samaél watches them, eyes softening at the sight of them snuggling against each other. He shifted his gaze to Tatenda briefly before drifting back to Ben as he claimed the pelt.

He knew what was to come now, watching how he suddenly grew very tired, pulling a chuckle from him softly.

"Rest" He pushed himself up from the chair, walking over and stroking a hand through his hair before pressing their foreheads together, "Rest up, I know you haven't slept well either...being passed out doesn't count" He pulled back before huffing, turning to Tatenda. He walked around the bed, patting her arm, "I'll see you around. Keep me updated..." He moved to slip from the room, closing the door behind him. He groaned softly, rubbing at his head and face before starting off down the hall.

tatenda gives samael a curt nod. ben, already dozing heavily against jordan, gives what is meant to be a 2 finger salute but he ends up just flipping samael off. he gets a small head shake of amusement from tatenda.

outside the heavy door to the hospital room, the buzz of people is more predominant now as the day shifts to early noon.

sprawling with her legs spread, gumo lounges on a small waiting bench outside of the room. the fluorescent lights of the halls reflect and blink off of the various jewelry that she has equipped. her head leans back against the wall, her arms lay bonelessly over the back of the bench. 

at the sound of the door, her eyes crack open and immediately lock onto samael. a thick eyebrow raises itself into her bangs, asking a silent question that both her and samael dont need to have spoken to be known.

Samaél had a small jolt as he finally noticed Gumo, staring her down as they locked eyes. He paused a moment before slowly nodding, hands slowly finding their way into his pocket with a soft huff from him.

"...They are both sleeping now...Tatenda is watching over them" He glanced back at the door, then back to her, eyes soft. He finally made his way over to her, sitting on the arm of the bench slightly, "...Now what?"

gumo lightly nudges samael with her knee and wraps her arm around his shoulder. "now, you can both stop being bottom bitches and maybe one of you could possibly ask a lumberjack on a date?" she gives a sly grin and an eyebrow wiggle

Samaél eyed her knee before leaning into her slightly as she wrapped her arm around him a bit. He paused before blushing, rolling his eyes and glancing away from her, "What if...he doesn't..." He trailed off slightly, knowing he was just making up excuses and sounding stupid.

"How do you even know if he likes men?" He asked in a semi angry whisper, staring at her

"well, for one, in the kitchen when you turned and left, his eyes definitely gravitated downward." she states with a smirk. "also did you see his piercings? that man has a tongue piercing, samael. i can safely say hes into men." she looks away for a second, avoiding his eyes, "it may also help that i have his entire background, including past relationships, though..."

"Gumo!" Samaél practically yelled and drawing some attention until everyone seems to realize exactly who it was and decided against staring. He grit his teeth slightly, canines poking out noticeably.

He had planned on scolding her for digging up Vern's background before he realized she wouldn't have listened anyway. He shook his head, looking away before...

"...Did he really look down?" He asked softly, blushing as he casually glanced down at himself. He may act like a bad bitch, and be a complete bad bitch, but even bad bitches sometimes felt like they weren't good enough...

"...what'd he do?"

"oh he fucking blushed like a virgin....though i highly doubt he is one...but yeah he was havin a great time." she removes her arm from samaels shoulder and stretches, "i also have a new tidbit that i find very fun but im not gonna let you in on that until you find out yourself." she says with a wink. getting up, she holds a hand out for samael. "now dont be mopey alright? youve got like a 9.99/10 percent chance at tappin and stayin with him."

Samaél sat up a bit as she released him, blush still very prominent on his face as he listened to and nodding casually. He rubbed the back of his head as she claimed she knew something he didn't, "What?" He questioned, despite knowing she had no plans to tell him.

He grabbed her hand as she offered it to him, getting off the couch and sighing, "9.99? Pretty high coming from you. That confident, huh?"

she grins almost imply, pulling him up and along with her down the hall. "oh im not confident at all!" she turns to look at him over his shoulder, "im just fucking right."


	6. Chapter 6

she marches them down to the main room, eventually the entry doors to the elevator up to the library. "ok so you dont actually have work today and im taking off so we can hang out today. you know mantis petty and all that shit." she butchers the name flippantly with a wave of the hand not holding samaels; which she has yet to let go of... 

in fact, she and samael both know that her grip is too tight for him to pull away from it.

Samaél did not like that grin at all, eyebrows drawing together in slight concern as he was dragged along.

"Right, huh?" He sneered, "If you say so..." He was just in heavy denial, knowing from his past experiences...that somethings just weren't meant to work out for him...

He was confused when they were practically making their way out of the base, standing in the elevator. He flexed his hand a bit as he realized she had no intention of letting go, shoulders slumping slightly, "Uh huh..." He knew she was up to something, he just couldn't figure out what exactly it was....

"So...whats your plan then?"

hmmmm. well one, were gonna go home and change cause youre a greaser ass bitch. and two, were going to ben and jordans basement so i can get my fucking sunglasses back." she states the second part snappily. 

gumo walks the two of them back to their apartment, not lettin go of samael and not willing to even seem like its possible in the future. 

the two finally burst into the house before gumo lets go, moving to shoo samael off to his room and going to hers respectively. as she is shutting her door diagonal from samaels, she shouts. "get your ass in something that will make a man fucking beg for you."

Samaél was practically forced to follow her and accept her verbal abuse, rolling his eyes and heaving a heavy sigh, "I got it, I got it...I take it you want to go to the bar?" He questioned off handedly, but never really expected an answer. She seemd on her own little world...

Arriving at the apartment was a relief as she let him go, grunting as he was shooed into his room. He rolled his eyes, closing the door, "Why?" He questioned loudly back, and yet still went yo his closet as he stripped down to his boxers. He studied his closet contents before picking out his red windowed sweater, some nearly see through black leggings, and finally getting his chained black heeled boots.

He settled down, finally tossing his boxers to the side and picking out his lacy, black thong before dressing up (a gift from Gumo, no doubt). He shifted a bit, checking himself out before sitting in his bathroom to do some light makeup.

gumo strolls back in with her outfit on display, only wearing half of it. She carries her shoes and strapped skirt in her arms as she drags samaels computer chair with her inot his bathroom. she plops down onto it backwards, resting her arms on the back of it as she studies samaels makeup supply. she makes a pleased gasp as she digs out a vibrant palette of eyeshadow and pops it open. she had recently dyed her hair, the bright colors shining proudly in her bangs as she pulls the rest of the black crop cut up out of her face and pins it with a few clips. she begins to apply steady and bold strokes of every color in the palette around her eyes. with no thought disturbing the piece with an argument, she works silently and decides against making any quips about her lace-clad one piece that she wears. she does, however, quickly slide a few looks in samaels direction, almost as if checking that he is ok.

Samaél barely paid her any attention as she made herself happily at home in his bathroom and helping herself to his make up. It was her house, and she practically bought all of the makeup for him anyway. He checked his makeup in the mirror, having just enough to be considered a 'natural' look.

He huffed as he finished touching up his outfit, heels clicking as he moved to check for some jewelry. He dug through his stuff a bit before pulling out a simple black choker, putting that one before side eyeing her as he felt her gaze.

"...What?" He looked away a bit as he finished clipping his necklace in place.

she looks back down at the eyeliner shes holding before sharply drawing a knife-like point on her eye, mirroring the other.

"can i do your makeup? i wanna try a new look on you."

her tone is friendly as she turns to fully look at samael, setting down the eyeliner. its not rare for the two to do makeup together, but both tend to stay with their respective styles. its unusual for gumos open proposition to come up at all.

but her eyes still dare him to say no.

Samaél took a moment to process her question, staring at her, "A new look?" He could tell she was in a mood, and it was always easier to allow her to have her way.

With a heavy sigh he moved back to the bathroom, "What new look?" he quirked an eyebrow

"one that ive tried on myself but cant seem to ever look good in. but you have a nice face for it..." she mutters the last part, reaching around to grab a bottle of gloss from her skirt pocket on the toilet seat. she flashes it with a flourish and an expression that only samael could ever say was puppy-dog eyes.

"please?"

Samaél watched it all play out before sighing heavily, moving to settle in front of her, "Alright..." He had no clue what her plan was, but he just had suffer along for the ride.


	7. Chapter 7

gumo and samael are both downstairs, getting together whatever supplies they may need before leaving for jordan and bens basement as a pit-stop. gumo, ever the old lady, has her black fanny-pack slung over her hip where the skirt turns into straps. she rifles through it for a second until finally making a small 'aha' and pulls out a small taser. she gives it a tiny test before putting it safely back into her pack and turning to look at samael on her way to the door. 

"you ready?"

Samaél was checking himself out in the mirror before he made his way down stairs, inspecting the makeup and quitely vibing. He paid her little attention as she checked her taser, rolling his eyes, brushing his outfit down.

"Yeah, let's go" He had to admit he felt pretty good, and was fairly excited to have a bit of fun tonight.

they hit the road, or... sidewalk. it takes them a solid chunk of time to get to the little rundown hut that leads to ben and jordans basement. the solid chunky lock looks rusted, but both know that its tough enough to withstand a sledgehammer. gumo taps on the little box next to it, sending a notification that she wants to enter. a tinny voice comes through the little speaker: 

"hello and welcome to the middle of the fucking woods. if you are here and dont know me, please leave. if you-"

over the speaker, bens deadpan voice is interrupted by jordans more rough but peppy one. its obvious that the latter had recently just woken up during the recording of this. shuffling is heard before they begin conversing.

"ben thats too rude itll just make people more curious."

"i dont care, its not like they can break the lock anyway."

"yeah but dude, at least like... here lemme see it." 

theres more rustling as jordans voice begins again louder than before.

"hey if youre here for ben and jordan, you know the password. if youre just a rando who found the place, you cant come in here, but you can see our beautiful children through the window to your left. thank you and dont come again."

gumo sighs, glancing at the multiple furbies that the boys have put up in the window before leaning down and promptly speaking the password into the box. 

":b:ussy." 

the lock clicks open with a heavy thunk and gumo pushes the door to swing it in, enterin the house. she beckons samael to follow her.

Samaél follows behind her with very little argument, but he was not pleased to be trampling all the way to Ben and Jordan's place to retrieve some sunglasses...

He rolled his eyes at the whole recording before perking as the door unlocked, following after her with a heavy sigh, "I got it, I got it..." He closed the door behind them, "Get your sunglasses and lets go, I need a drink"

gumo leads samael down to the basement, a room that is actually quite large compared to the size of the hut above it, and starts towards the kitchenette's island. 

the large room itself smells like lemon and lavender, aka the combined soaps of the two boys respectively, and has an undertone of the wafting scent of marijuana. the kitchenette takes up a heavy section of the left part of the room, taking up the entire wall and a solid 10 feet of walking room between the stove side and the half-wall that makes up the island. a handful of stools sit in a row by the counter of the half-wall, all adorning their own objects ranging from jackets to bags to cardboard boxes. 

along the right wall is the king-sized bed, covered in stuffed animals and drowning in hefty comforters. a fluffed up body pillow serves as a pillow at the head of the platform. the walls cornering the bed are nearly unseen as prints, posters, pictures, and notes are pinned up onto them.

next to the bed is a long desk scattered with papers and books, a little seal plushy sits on it looking fairly pleased with itself. the wall opposite of the bed has an advanced computer and stream setup complete with 3 monitors, a mic stand, speakers, led lights, and an oversized rolling chair. a few gaming systems sit beside the desk hooked up to the tv on their other side, but can be easily hooked into a moniter for recording. 

the 7 foot flatscreen is pressed haphazardly against the wall as it sits on a low entertainment table that is overflowing onto the floor with movie and game cases. a loveseat and 2 recliners rest on a shag rug a few feet from the tv.

a door is open, adjacent to the entrance, and inside the bathroom can be made out in the darkness.

at the island now, gumo has her sunglasses in hand; a rimless pair with medium-sized red circular lenses. she gives samael a nod and asks if he needs anything from here.

Samaél practically ignored every possible obstacle in his way, expertly maneuvering around them as he had been there many times before, "You got them?" He seemed unimpressed when she held them, and nodded, "Good, let's go before I get high just standing in here..." he gestured back towards the door. He was anxious to get to the bar, really needing a drink and getting bratty by standing around all dressed up. She wanted him to dress up? Fine, but if they didn't hurry he was going to go leave without her and make horrible decisions.

with a nod, gumo begins to walk back to and up the stairs. as the two leave, she turns to the outside camera at the corner of the gutters and blows a kiss to it with her middle finger to her lips. 

the two start their decent back into town, a good 15 minute walk between them and the club. gumos deadly smirk never leaves her lips as a scheming look form on her features.


	8. Chapter 8

Samaél followed after, watching her make kisses at the camera before flipping them off himself and giving a playful pose before continuing after her. He noticed her look, squinting at her with a low hum, "...What?" He growled lowly, "what's that face for?"

gumo quickly wiped the expression from her face, switching it to a flat deadpan one. "what face. mine? i know its irresistible, you dont need to to tell me." she quips matter-of-factly. her hands find eachother behind her back, latching as her arms straighten and her chest puffs out. a little hop begins to appear in her step. 

"so i know were going to the bar, but do you have any specific plans for pick-ups tonight?" she asks with an innocent tone.

Samaél rolled his eyes, huffing as she immediately proceeded to deny everything like always, "No. Probably the first poor sorry idiot to try to talk to me..." He shrugged, lifting his head in greeting to the bouncer as they entered the bar, "You know how it works...and if no one bites, I'll simply drink until they do" He wasn’t in the mood for any real fishing, hoping his standards would lower as the night went on. They always did...

gumo nods along as samael speaks, looking somewhat distracted. her head tilts back and forth and side to side a few times before they slow to a stop inside the entrance. 

"hey im gonna go get some drinks, you wanna come with?"

Samaél had stopped on his way to their usual table, glancing back at her, wondering what was different. He shrugged, huffing, "I guess...?" He gestured to the bar, "Lead the way?"

gumo flashes a sharp grin before turning and heading to the bar. she leans cooly on the lengthy countertop, looping her ankles together and resting the weight on her crossed arms. 

the bar is clear of people due to the time only being around late noon, even the tender is unseen and likely in the back instead. gumo politely taps on the wooden surface of the bar and waits.

Samaél follows her, sighing heavily and lounging next to her against the counter. No one was here, naturally, it was car to early. He didn't understand why exactly she had him dress up and come out and now this?

He was having a hard time connecting the dots, eyes narrowing her direction as he shifted from heel to heel.

gumo never let her expression falter. the heady look of pure excitement making her eyes burn akin to embering flames as she bops in place, her heels clicking sharply against the hard floor. 

eventually, after a few minutes, a door to the left of them behind the bar begins to swing open. a man that both of the guests know, but only one expected, shoulders past the door. wiping his hands on a small towel, he flings it to rest over his shoulder. he hums an acknowledgment before looking up and hesitating in his trek on the way to the counter for a second. quickly, the flash of surprise disappears and is replaced by an expression that can only be explained as subtle hunger. his eyes rove over samael before snapping up to meet his eyes.

"youre gorgeous." he whispers in awe before rushing to cover it up and greeting them both. 

"i-i mean. hey! its a little early for you guys to show up? whats going on?" he stumbles out with a thick voice.


	9. Chapter 9

At the sound of the door swinging open, Samaél side eyed it with a disinterested stare before glancing away as someone walked out...

He didn't pay them much attention, sighing as he sat up a bit straighter, planning on just ordering a drink and leaving. You don’t flirt with your bartenders after all...

He glanced over as he heard them stall, confused as to why and then froze himself as he locked eyes with Vern, blushing deeply as he noticed the way he looked at him, and what he said...

Super hearing didn't always come in handy though.

He tensed as Vern finally addressed them properly, eyes locked on him before nearly melting at the sound of his voice.

"Vern..." He side eyed Gumo with a snarl, baring his fangs at her briefly before trying to regain control over his emotions.

"A day off...and Gumo was rather eager to show me something" He stared her down, yellow eyes flashing briefly before he focused back om Vern.

vern, still glued to samael, inspects the interaction with rapt attention. he latches onto the slightly sharper than normal teeth for a second and the fluorescent flickering of eyes, listing them off in his head and putting a pin in it for later mentally. he quickly nods, accepting the excuses.  
\----------------------------  
gumo internally groans as she watches verns eyes light with recognition, 

he couldnt have at least tried to hold off a little? do men even understand the phrase slow burn or are they all just fucking dense?

nudging samael with a sharp elbow, she grins up at vern and lets the conversation continue.  
"yeah the past few days have been pretty stressful so i gave us a few days off. ill have a screwdriver, please." she mutters as she rifles through her bag for her card.

"vodka so early? do you plan on staying out all night or getting smashed before 8?" he stumbles out with a laugh even as he makes her the drink.

gumo extends her card for him only for it to be blocked by his hand, 

"no no its fine. your first drinks are on the house tonight. dont have too much fun." vern states as he slides the glass over, giving samael a worried look. 

"anything for you? i mean. obviously i know what you want. but any chance youre gonna change it up today?"

Samaél didn't notice the look that may have slipped across Vern's face, having thought nothing of it all because he hadn't even realized he did it...

He hissed slightly as he was nudged sharply, glaring at her before glancing away as he rubbed the spot...which happened to be one of his two massive tits. He rolled his eyes, settling back on th bar with a deep blush on his face, listening to her and Vern interact.

He had his eyes locked on him, raking them over his body before they darted upwards as he was addressed.

Change it up...?

"No...." He started him down, arms crossed as he leaned on the bar, the window in his sweater giving Vern a very lovely view, "I want my regular..."

verns face flushes a pretty crimson before he turns to the shelves of alcohol and grabs samaels regular along with a shot glass. his blush is evident on the back of his neck and the flesh of his ears, making his avoidant turn worthless.

gumo slams her drink, the small glass empty as it hits the counter. she straightens herself and looks to samael, an eyebrow quirked.

"well. it was nice to sit, or... stand, and talk but i did call a sweet little pillow princess while getting dressed so i must bid you two goodbye." she states with a cavity-enducing smile and a dainty wave as she back away from the counter and starts toward a corner occupied by a plump woman wearing a billowing maroon dress.  
\---------------------------   
vern, hearing gumos goodbye, hummed in response before turning and pushing the shot glass to samael and filling it. he quickly snatches gumos old glass and begins wiping down the counter. 

he seems to be against eyecontact but at the same time, his expression is pure excitement.

Samaél watched with mild amusement as it was Vern's turn to get embarrassed, glancing away for a moment before as he had turned away. He had quite the view of certain _ass_pects of Vern's body.

The slam of the drink had him glancing over, raising an eyebrow of his own before glaring at her. This whole thing had been a set up...

"Gumo-" He snapped as she started to walk away, blushing deeply and gritting his teeth before being forced to focus on Vern as he returned with his drink.

He gently took the shot glass, not quite ready to make eye contact either before he downed the shot and slid the glass back to Vern.

"...." He watched his expressions from the corner of his eye, glancing away witj a huff before continuing...

"...You work here...?"

verns eyebrows shot up as he quickly turned to face samael. 

"you didnt know? i figured you just didnt want to talk about it." he giggles quietly to himself, "you are.... hah quite different when youre at the club. i only ever see you from afar." he smile softens slowly as his sentence lingers in the air.

he silently refills the shot glass before setting the bottle down and leaning on the bar. his chin rests snuggly in his palm as he gets comfortable.

"ive never seen your rumored outfits up close before," his voice cuts low as his eyes travel, "they seem to be...very nice on the eyes."

Samaél blushed deeply at the mention of his club actions comparative to his out of club self, glancing away as Vern very much pointed out how different he was...

Of course, he couldn't just meet a nice guy who didn't know about the club...great...

The silence was deafening, watching him refill the glass before downing it immediately. He set it down as Vern got comfortable, looking him over.

Ah, yeah, there it is...

"Rumored, huh...." He shifted a bit as Vern's eyes traveled, "Yeah, glad you like it..." Ah, fuck it...might as well have some fun... "You should see me without them..."

verns eyebrows shoot up in surprise at samaels forward nature. his posture stays relaxed even as he gives a subtle shift. a huff of air puffs from his nose as an amused smile appears. vern pretends to give samaels words some thought, nodding his head left and right before speaking.

"mmmm... i dont know about that just yet. id prefer to see you with another mug of hot chocolate in your hands, all curled up like a little cat. that sounds nice, right kitten? i know a guy who works who also happens to own a cafe that just so coincidentally sells hot chocolate if you wanna go check it out after my shift." he states with a smirk.

Samaél was confused as Vern simply seemed amused, raising an eye brow. Was...was the not what he was interested in? That's not the normal reaction he gets when he puts it all out there...

He blinked as he was softly let down before blushing deeply as Vern described something else, something a little more...pure.

He swallowed hard, staring into his eyes and letting a shaky breath as he was called kitten and then offered up on a literal date...

Maybe Vern was just one of those that liked to make you feel like it was something more then just mindless sex...

Yeah, that had to be it...

"...Suppose I have nothing else to do after all this..." He shrugged, glancing away, "So...yeah, sure...why not"

verns smile could have blinded a human as he quickly straightened and checked his watch. 

"great! okay, so i get off at 6. do you think you can hang around until then? im sure youve spent longer on one of your regular nights." he jumbles out before pacing a little and moving his tools around, trying to make sure his shift goes smoothly.

Samaél seemed....surprised by his smile and genuine positive reaction.

Maybe...maybe he did mean it...

No. No, he wouldn't let himself fall for that, again....not again...

He nodded, toying with his empty shot glass as he watched him pace about, "I'll...sit here and wait, I suppose..." He sounded awkward, feeling completely out of his element.


	10. Chapter 10

He could feel the stares he was getting as the night grew later, the whispers and talking behind his back.

What was he doing at the bar? He never sits at the bar? Probably trying to score free drinks off Vern, you see how he looks at him? Didn't know he would finally stoop that low....

He growled lowly, staring intently at his cup and willing it fill once more. This was stupid...what was he even waiting for? A date? With him? Please...

He glanced behind himself as he felt a caress across his backside, glaring as he made eye contact with some random jackoff.

"Not interested..."

"Oh, come on, you're always interested..." They insisted briefly before pulling back as Samaél elbowed them roughly in the chest, "Agh, fuck, fine..." They snapped before slipping off...

And the whispers started, again. The club was only fun when he can get wasted and forget it all...

vern is pouring a lady her martini when he begins to notice the shift in tension around samael. he quickly tops off the glass and thanks her for the generous tip that she slides over the counter, pointedly ignoring her wink. 

making his way over to samael, he takes in his interaction with another guy at the bar. 

jesus, take a fucking no, asshole. 

anger sparks in his chest as he watches the man skulk away, making eye contact with vern. he takes in his features, memorizing them just incase he causes problems again. vern holds up a finger in plain sight, making sure the man sees. 

strike one.

he finally leans back over the counter to samael, taking in the expression on his face to gauge his thoughts. he seems nonplussed, face blank and bored. a light bulb blinks on in verns head that ignites fear for samael and dredges harsh memories out from the depths.

"does that happen often?" he asks quietly, attempting to keep his voice level.

Samaél seemed sullen, eyes locked on his empty shot glass and barely even noticing Vern's return before snapping to attention as he spoke. He stared up at him, golden eyes staring into seafoam ones.

He spared a glance over his shoulder, ear twitching as the whispers continued, "...You learn to ignore, or learn to stop caring..." He glanced back at him, staring him down, "...Don't worry about..."

He pushed the shot glass away, sighing heavily as he sat up a bit, "...Don't act like you haven't heard, haven't seen..." He snapped slightly before trying to calm himself, reaching back to make sure he had his cigarettes, "I'm going to a smoke..." He pushed himself away from the counter as he made a move to go to the door, eyes glowing a bright yellow for a moment before dimming.


	11. Chapter 11

vern was prepared for the hostility, prepared for the accusation that he's just acting, prepared for samael expressing that he truly believes vern just want whats in his pants. a sharp sigh forces its way out of vern as his eyes snap to the clock. 5:28 hes sure the other bartender that showed up a few moments ago wont mind if he asks to take off a tiny bit early. with a quick swipe, he has the abandoned shot glass in the bin and the counter smudged with water ringlets wiped down. he gets an affirmative from the other tender before untying his half-apron and chucking it into the back room. he's got his phone in hand, setting his timers, and small backpack on before he even pushes away from the bar. watercolor sunlight from the dissipating horizon greets him sweetly as he shoulders out the door and meets samael. a quick nod of his head in the direction of the cafe is his only command as he starts onto the sidewalk.

Samaél shoved past the bouncer as they stated at him, used to his outbursts by now and simply happy to see him leaving before he could start any bar fights, again... He stormed across the street, letting out a heavy sigh as he slumped against the wall, quickly lighting a cigarette and taking a puff... He reached up and rubbed at his eyes, gritting his teeth. He knew he shouldn't have snapped...he shouldn't have stormed out... He lowered his hand as he took another puff, resting his eyes as they flashed yellow, again. He couldn't handle it all...Gumo, Vern, that asshole...being sober... He glanced up just in time to make eye connect with Vern, checking the time before putting out his cigarette and following after him.

Verns eyebrows gave a heavy twitch downward as he took in samaels overexerted expression and mostly finished cigarette butt hitting the ground. he holds in a sigh, an apology barely keeping itself behind his lips as he instead forces his mouth into a friendly smile. he knows it does nothing though as he feels his eyebrows stay ticked down into a natural furrow. Vern feels the tension pulling taught between them as samael follows him silently through the streets of the town. On instinct, he begins to attempt small talk. “so, what are your thoughts on mint? I'm thinking of trying out new flavors and figured you would be a good guinea pig.” he puts out into the air between them, fingers rolling a piece of his shirt methodically to have the texture between them. His head is bowed, examining the cobbled expanse of walkway before him. He doesn’t want to fuck this up. He _can't_ fuck this up. He would never forgive himself if samael hated him.  
Vern is unable to keep the shaky breath from escaping, knowing that the shiver wracking through him is entirely too visible for his preferences.

Samaél heaved a heavy sigh, smoking seeping from the corners of his lips as his eyes slowly trailing over Vern's form as he bit his cheek. He should say something... _Anything..._ And yet, he remained silent. Like a coward... That smile would have had him melting if it hadn't been for those furrowed brows, his own eyes softening as his gaze shifted to the ground. Vern hadn't done anything to him, but listen to his stupid fucking pitiful ass... He opened his mouth to speak, the words catching in his throat as Vern beat him to it. "...Mint, huh?" He questioned softly, shrugging his shoulders causally as he attempt to push it all aside, "Depends...nothing overly strong, but I'm sure you could manage it..." He attempted to tease softly, eyeing how he carried himself before huffing and noticing the shaky breath and shudder. He recognized some of those... He was a fucking fool... "...Vern..." His lips twitched before he grit his teeth, lowering his head slightly, "...I...I'm sorry...for the bar..."

Vern quickly cuts samael off before he can inevitably blame himself for every fault in the world.  
“hey, no. Samael, it wasn’t anything you did. It wasn’t anything I did either though. It was that jerk. I see him around every once in a while; he's always being too shifty for his own good. He puts me on edge is all, makes me nervous,” a giddy nervous chuckle bursts from Vern's lips. “I mean, he makes the other bartenders cautious too. I've seen a few of the bouncers on clock track him in the club. I honestly don’t know why we still let him in, we have a ban list for a reason.”  
By the end of the rant, vern is twisting the fabric of his shirt as he stumbles out his muddled words under his breath. The crease between his brows still sits firm even as the end of his statement becomes slightly unstable, shaky from lack of breath. He sharply stops and flicks his gaze up to samael.

“i mean,” vern sighs heavily, “just. Don’t blame yourself. Is what I'm trying to say. The bar can handle him.” Vern spends a second studying samael as he walks. He measures the heavy steps he takes and how they surround him in an air of rebelliousness. It has a high contrast to the outfit that makes him seem soft and catty, a coverup for his steel-hearted nature. It’s interesting that out of all the people in the world this five-foot-nothing, inked up, leather jacket wearing man caught his eyes; more than caught. He pulled his attention in like he is gravity itself. It isn't right, vern is fucked up; he shouldn’t be attracted to _anyone_ after what happened. But he knows, just _knows_ , that samael is fucked up too. The scars tell enough of his story for vern to guess why he basically _lives_ at the club, drunk off his ass, always ready to take a guy home and then cut him off as if it never happened.  
Jesus fucking christ, vern needs to get his shit together. He needs to get it together _soon_ unless he wants samael to find out that he's not as nice too look at under his physical appearance.

Samaél let himself be cut off as Vern started to ramble, eyebrows drawing together slightly as he listened to him. He didn't try to stop his rambling, simply taking a few wider strided steps- "Vern..." He hesitately reached out with a hand, brushing it against his own as he practically destroyed the edges of his shirt with his fussing. He trailed his calloused finger tips across his hand before slowly pulling away, glancing away from him and staring forward, "....I'll be fine...I just wanted to apologize for snapping at you...you...didn't deserve it..." He glanced at him, eyes soft, "Breath....ok? Take to me to this stupid café and let's get this shit going...I stayed sober for this..." He attempted to joke, but felt it definitely came out more sad than anything... He stalled as Vern stopped in his tracks, staring up at him before glancing away, "It's fine...Don't worry about it..." He waved him off slightly, not willing to address the subject completely. Vern had been staring at him for a long while, almost as if he was trying to pick him apart; and, yet, it didn't make his skin crawl as it normally would have if this had been anyone else. He felt like Vern could see right through him, to his core....understand him... And that concerned him more than anything. He slowly rubbed at his neck, soothing finger tips over the scars there as he suddenly grew self conscious, eyes trailing down until he was staring at the ground. "So...where's that fucking café you were talking about...?" He tried to awkward start back up a conversation, slipping around him and continuing to walk, "Must be close...right?"

vern is grateful for the out samael gives him, immediately grabbing for it and running. "it better be close considering i have to make that walk so often." he states it with a chuckle, slowing down in front of the shop. he pulls out a crowded key ring and quickly scans to find the one for the cafe, unlocking the door and shouldering it open. the lights are off, the only illumination coming from the lowering sun and the streetlights turning on one by one.

Samaél blinked stupidly as they arrived at the café, brows furrowing slightly as he remembered that Vern did indeed run a café... He lowered his hand from his neck as he watched him pull out his key ring, eyeing it before eyeing him. How many keys did he honestly need...Did Vern have nothing better to do? He caught himself there, knowing he was no better and that Vern probably had his reasons. He watched him shoulder the door open, dipping forward to hold it for him before following him inside, "So...what's this new drink you wanted to try out?" He asked causally, again, using his heel to nudge the door closed behind them, pausing until he heard the click to signal it was actually locked. It was different being in the café when it was closed, and yet...he's been here far many more times when it was closed than when it was open. Not that he was complaining, he didn't like the crowds.


	12. Chapter 12

vern hums lightly, a small melody from a non-existent song, as he relocks the door and leads samael to the kitchen area in the back. "its kind of like a tea. though... there isnt any actual _tea_ in it so i guess its. not? a tea?" he gives a shrug, "its gonna be sweet though so i figured you might like it." he busies himself with pulling ingredients from the fridge and cabinet and setting them onto the counter next to the syrups. patting the empty counter across from him for samael to sit, he begins mixing various items into a metal shaker/cup mix.

Samaél watches him before following him back to the kitchen, eyeing the way he swayed and moved before lifting his gaze once more as he started to speak. "So a sweet, not-tea drink?" He joked fairly blandly, already pulling himself up in the counter after he patted it settling in with a soft huff. He watched him work, leaning back on the counter a bit, "...If it's sweet than probably..." He was definitely calling himself out on this one, knowing anything remotely sweet would probably be his favorite.

the joke, while bland, easily brightened verns mood. he swiftly scoops up some ice into a medium plastic cup and pours the drink into it. the translucent liquid is a light teal color, small chunks of what looks to be raspberries float freely. even with the fruity look, the sharp notes of spearmint can be found easily. vern passes the cup to samael with a smirk. "well im glad to say that sweet is kind of my specialty."

  


Samaél was transfixed with his movements, watching the way he expertly scooped, mixed, and poured it all together before blinking as it was offered to him. He gently took it, sniffing it before using the straw to stir it, "Probably because you're already so sweet..." He murmured softly to himself, barely loud enough for for Vern to hear. He lifted the drink, pressing the straw between his lips and sipping slowly. He paused a moment as he stirred and inspected it, again, "...It's good" He tilted his head slightly to the side like a dog would after being confused, inspecting the drink, again, "...Definitely not tea..."

  


not hearing samael's comment, vern holds a small grin as he watches samael sip at the drink. a few snickers escape him at samael's curiosity before he pulls out a bottle that he didnt let samael see before. “That’s cause it’s not tea. I did mention that, right? You actually just had a sex in the driveway but I didn’t have lemons so I improvised.” he states it with a shrug, as if he didn’t just casually make an entire cocktail from ingredients in a café. “I figured you would like it though, considering how sweet I make them.” he pauses, looking to the side, “I just didn’t want to make you nervous cause we’re in a different setting I guess. I mean. I _am_ still the guy who gives you the liquid courage to be _known_ at the club.” he sighs before looking back, directly at samael, “I'm not someone that you need to be fake around, okay?” He flashes a quick smile before turning back around to the counter and fixing another drink, this one devoid of alcohol but loaded with what looks like vanilla ice cream and a clear dropper of an oil-like substance. The sharp smell of mint begins to fill the room.

  


Samaél had gone back to casually sipping to drink when Vern finally pulled out the bottle, eyeing it before lowering the drink a bit, toying with the straw. Of course it was alcohol... He couldn't even bring himself to be upset over it, knowing it's exactly what his system wanted. He slowly stopped stirring it as he listened to Vern speak, staring him down before staring down at the drink and than back up as he felt eyes on him. _I'm not someone you need to be fake around..._ "..." He watches as he mixes the other drink, eyeing the ice cream that went into it, "I am not uncomfortable here..." His voice was soft, but Vern would still be able to hear him clearly, "...I didn't drink because I was told this was a date...we can leave the bar behind, it doesn't have to exist for the rest of the night...ok?" He was being surprisingly gentle, setting the drink aside and eyeing it before leaning forward. He didn't need it...he didn't need it...

  


Vern pauses in his pouring of the mix and some ice into a blender when he hears the softness in samael’s voice. It surprises him enough that he nearly spills a chunk of ice cream on the table, luckily catching it at the last second. His eyebrows furrow out of samael’s view, a small crease forming between them. He quickly wipes it away before twisting to meet samael’s eyes. The molten honey brings a swarm of wasps to his stomach; he turns away before his blush gets too noticeable. Clearing his throat, he sets the appliances down and fully moves to face him.  
The full attention from samael is making him dizzy and nervous; small snippets of familiar memories flash by in a whirlwind of fear. He used to it, the backtracking thoughts that observe his daily life and often decide to add their input. Often like right now, standing in front of samael with what he doesn’t doubt is a far-off look on his face and a tremor steadily building in his hands.

  


_Sober? Oh Vern, you know how well men treat you while sober._ He feels the burn of sharp nails biting into his flesh, his forearms and back lining with flushed red scratches. The whispers in his ears stay clear even as traveling brushes of warmth explore his neck. _This is risky, Vern. You either kick him out now or let him have his way._ A hushed giggle. _Maybe you can finally come back to us and get some money out of him. Doesn’t he look just like your favorite customer with his cute little scowl? What, did you think he’d want to be drunk 24/7? A ridiculous fantasy, Vern. He said he wants to be sober for you, so let him be._ The words are sticky sweet in his ear. _Let him see how wrecked you can be for him._ Cold tremors move from his hands and flood his body, making his knees weaken as images pass his vision like slides on a Powerpoint.  
 _Dark brown eyes. A pair of calloused hands, rough from use and catching on clothing. Knuckles wrapped in blushing bruises. Metal looping into flesh. Black ink crawling over hardened muscles._ It’s the flash of hands, closer now, that brings him down and forces his left palm to the ground as the other catches in the collar of his shirt. Vern can’t tell if he’s breathing anymore, if samael left him to his spiraling or if he’s still there sitting on the counter with those words on his lips.

Samaél furrowed his own brows as he noticed the way Vern paused before nearly dropping the ice cream, blinking it away as he twists to turn to him and has him reeling a bit. He shifted up a but straighter as they locked eyes, noticing the shift immediately and his eyes soften even more. He recognized those signs, concern seeping into his features. "Hey..." His voice was laced with concern, watching him place down the appliances before giving him his full attention. For a moment, he was worried that Vern would attempt to make some sort of move on him. Maybe he had done something to the drink....? He hadn't exactly been paying attention, he had been careless- His own breath hitched in his throat slightly before it shoved it down, gripping the edges of the counter. No. He pushed himself off the counter, heels clicking as they hit the ground, already moving forward as he noticed the shaking. "Vern..." His eyes darted over him quickly as the trembling grew worse, quickly moving to catch him as he collapsed, steadying him before slowly lowering them both to the ground. "Hey, hey..." He wasn't so good with these things, if his own life and coping habits were anything to go by. He stroked his hair from his face, brows drawn together in worry as he placed a hand on his chest, "Vern, you need to breath..." He shifted so he was closer, pausing a moment before remembering something his mother would do for him. "Vern, you don't have to look...just breath with me, ok?" He reached down to cup his hand, slowly placing it on his chest and slowly inhaling, "Focus..." He exhaled slowy, trying to work him up into doing it with him. "Nothing here can hurt you..." _Lies..._ Shut up. "Just breath with me..." _It's obvious he's scared of you..._ "Focus on the breathing, and just let it go..."

  


samaels voice is muffled, garbled by the quiet taunts floating in verns mind. it turns into an anchor, a steady deep thrum within the sea of rasps and higher-pitches. vern takes in a breath, attempts to anyway. it gets caught in his throat, sticky and broken. he feels the hair on his forehead being smoothed and flinches for second as his brain rationalizes the action. samael is holding him, trying to help. it isnt -------. ------- isnt here, hes back in west virginia with --- and ----. _looking for you._ no. he knows to stay away. _thats never stopped him before. when has he ever followed the rules?_

  


vern keens at samaels gentle gestures, leaning into the touch. his voice is weak and barely heard as his mouth finally begins working again. " _fuck..._ " its shaky and vern tries to stay away from the language, but it helps. it grounds him. he moves to grip samaels shirt in a fist. " _im so sorry..._ " vern cant even remember the last time he broke down like this. the voices are often but usually soft and barely worth a grimace, not laced with enough malice to wrack shudders through him. they also arent so active when vern is with others, when he doesnt let his mind wander. but _shit_ they were quick this time with their silver tongues and barbed language dipped in honeysuckle accents. the last time they broke past, he was alone in bed. nobody to calm him, only himself to blame for letting his own guilt get the best of him. but this time he has someone. samael is right here, breathing with him and rocking his body soothingly. its... its really fucking amazing. vern made a deal with himself that he wouldnt get too close with the people in this town, no more than acquaintances. so he knew this plan was dangerous, this _man_ was dangerous. but he did it anyway. _fuck_ , he might just throw that deal out the window if this is how close friends treat him. he hasnt been held so gently in more than a few decades, not since his mother fell ill. it was so nice. _he_ was so nice. vern leans harder into samael, his breaths calmed and his hands trembling.

"Easy..." Samaél slowly rocked with him, keeping his own breathing even and level, "Just breath...it's ok...everything is ok..." He kept repeating himself, struggling with words of his own and yet still wanting to offer up any reassurance he could. Vern _needed_ him to remain calm...he had to be for him... His own thoughts were running amok, doing their damnest to tear down his walls and shove him away from the man before him. _He doesn't need you! He's scared of you, can't you see?! You did this!_ Shut. Up! _While you sit and lie straight to his face...would he think if he really knew?_ He doesn't need to know! Samaél grit his teeth, letting out a shaky breath of his own before righting himself as Vern finally spoke. He reached down to grip his hand as he felt him fist his shirt, "It's alright...It's ok..." He leaned forward and rested their foreheads together, piercing honey colored eyes seeking out soft hazel ones. "Vern..." He attempted to soothe him, reaching out to grasp his other hand and try to ease his trembles next, "It's alright...we're in the café...it's just us...everything is alright..."

The warm hand on verns chest drag his mind from the depths, pulling them higher until he eventually feels the pattern of samaels breathing. He mimics the gesture, setting his palm on samaels breastbone to feel the racing beat beneath the muscle. It smooths out the wrinkled spot on the shirt from his grip.  
His head feels like lead, heavy and poisonous. “thank you. Samael... I-” A single knock sounds out from the front of the shop followed by the lock snapping open. The heavy breathing from vern is the only thing heard before a nasally shout breaks the tension. “hey vern? You here?” the sound of a bag thumping onto the ground is muffled through the wall, “i have a few books that I think you might like for your research.”

**Author's Note:**

> there is a lot of lore that is hinted at but not given, i am willing to explain in the comments if wanted


End file.
